Doyle&#39;s Blackberry

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Blackberry plant most nearly resembling the Wild Blackberry which exhibits (1) an absence of thorns or prickles, (2) the common occurrence of palmately compound leaves having five leaflets, (3) sturdy canes which support an unusually large upright-arching plant, (4) unusually long trailing stems, and (5) substantially round berries which form in an unusually abundant quantity and ripen over an unusually extended period.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

My invention concerns a new and distinct variety of Blackberry plantwhich was discovered by me during 1970 growing in my berry patch at 1600Bedford Road, Washington, Indiana. Growing in the same berry patch wherethe new variety was discovered were many Wild Blackberries, TameBlackberries, Youngberries, Everbearing Raspberries, Boysenberries andGrapes. The new variety likely resulted from open pollination and is ofunknown parentage. The new variety is believed to most nearly resemblethe Wild Blackberry.

The highly desirable characteristics of the new plant rendered itreadily discernible from the other berry plants growing in the area, andit was preserved.

My discovery differs from the Wild Blackberry by, inter alia, thefollowing combination of characteristics:

1. AN ABSENCE OF THORNS OR PRICKLES,

2. THE COMMON OCCURRENCE OF PALMATELY COMPOUND LEAVES HAVING FIVELEAFLETS,

3. STURDY CANES WHICH SUPPORT AN UNUSUALLY LARGE UPRIGHT-ARCHING PLANT,

4. UNUSUALLY LONG TRAILING STEMS,

5. SUBSTANTIALLY ROUND BERRIES WHICH FORM IN AN UNUSUALLY ABUNDANTQUANTITY AND RIPEN OVER AN UNUSUALLY EXTENDED PERIOD.

Observations of the new variety have been made at Washington, Ind.,where it has satisfactorily withstood winter temperatures as low as -5°F.

Asexual reproduction of my discovery by cuttings has been performed byme at Washington, Ind. This propagation shows that the uniquecombination of characteristics comes true to form and is established andtransmitted through succeeding propagation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings show typical specimens of the new variety incolor as nearly true as is reasonably possible to make the same in acolor illustration of this character.

FIG. 1 shows a typical four year old plant of the new variety. A yardstick is vertically positioned in the photo to illustrate the unusuallylarge size of the plant.

FIG. 2 shows a portion of a newly formed thornless stem of the newvariety bearing newly formed palmately compound leaves having fiveleaflets.

FIG. 3 shows a portion of a thornless stem of the new variety bearingmore mature palmately compound leaves having five leaflets.

FIG. 4 shows clusters of the substantially round berries of the newvariety which exhibit various stages of ripeness.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

The following description was made from plants growing at Washington,Ind. Color terminology employed is to be accorded its ordinarydictionary significance.

Plant Form: Large size; narrow based; vigorous; upright-arching shrub;unusually long trailing stems or branches; deciduous. The plant asillustrated in FIG. 1 may achieve a height of seven feet or more, awidth of 10 feet or more at its widest point, and exhibit trailing stemsof 25 to 30 feet or more in length.

Environment: The variety does well in either the full sun or in theshade.

Canes: Sturdy; biennial; often 1 to 11/2 inches in diameter when mature;commonly one to four canes per plant; light green in color withoccasional vertical maroon streaks; much branched, arching downwardswith the tips of the stems often trailing on the ground. There is littletendency for the plant to send up suckers.

Thorns and Prickles: Totally absent on any part of plant, none have beenobserved.

Foliage: Trifoliate or palmately compound with four and commonly fiveleaflets. The terminal leaflet is always the largest. The leaflets tendto be dark green in color similar to that of the Wild Blackberry. Theunderside of the leaflets is paler in color than the upper surfaces,both surfaces having scattered hirsute hairs. The stems tend to berusset in color, and the roots white in color. The petioles tend to be 1to 11/2 inches long. The petiolules are quite short. The leaflets areobovate in shape, the margins being irregularly serrated with occasionalrough lobes.

Flowers: Profuse and extended appearing in mid-April to mid-May.

Fruit: Substantially round berries born on widely branched terminalclusters usually of approximately 20 to 100 berries on lateral shootsappearing under each leaf having a distinctive Blackberry taste similarto that of Wild Blackberries. The fruit is generally 3/4 to 11/8 inchesin length. The ripened berries have a fluorescent blue-black appearanceas illustrated in FIG. 4, and ripen over an unusually extended period oftime (e.g. approximately 60 days). The plant as illustrated in FIG. 1produces an abundant harvest of berries totaling 10 to 20 gallons. Theripened fruit is retained well upon the plant and stays firm for severaldays following picking even without refrigeration. The berry shape issimilar to that of the Wild Blackberry.

Disease: The variety has not contracted rusts, leaf spot, cane blight orother common Blackberry plant diseases and appears to be resistant.

The new variety herein described is being named Doyle's Blackberry.

Having thus described and illustrated my new variety of Blackberry plantwhat is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent isset forth in the following claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety ofBlackberry plant most nearly resembling the Wild Blackberrysubstantially as shown and described, characterized particularly as tonovelty by the unique combination of (1) an absence of thorns orprickles, (2) the common occurrence of palmately compound leaves havingfive leaflets, (3) sturdy canes which support an unusually largeupright-arching plant, (4) unusually long trailing stems, and (5)substantially round berries which form in an unusually abundant quantityand ripen over an unusually extended period.